Rebuilding the Shattered Bridges
by JRWStudios
Summary: When a former student shows up on his doorstep, Bartholomew doesn't take a second to wonder why. But when he sees the sorry state she's been put in, he knows he can't let her leave his home. What happened to turn the loving, open-minded girl he watched graduate turn into the empty shell of a woman that comes asking him for help? All characters belong to RT
1. Prologue

A/N: WARNING: This chapter has some very violent references that will be referenced throughout the coming chapters of the story. Some of it may hit close to home. I apologize in advance for whatever mental images you experience as a result of reading this introduction.

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Prologue: Tormenting the Hated

Another day of failures hung over the head of a young woman as she trudged through the back alleys of the vibrant, bustling town. Once again she had failed to get work, _any work_ , and had to return home with her tail between her legs. The only difference was that this time, some kind soul had taken pity on her, and had given her the first meal she had enjoyed in months.

It was sad, because that meal consisting of only a couple stale rolls and some scraps of meat.

The woman clutched her stomach as it began to rumble again, sending shudders of pain through her. It was almost enough to make her fall to her knees, but unfortunately her hunger wouldn't get the chance.

A boot made contact with the woman's back, shoving her to the ground. In too much pain to even yelp at the shock of it, she turned sullen yellow eyes on her attacker and flinched in fear. The Grimm masks the group surrounding her wore were burned into her subconscious so deeply they haunted her in her dreams, and now they were around her for real. It was like she had descended into a nightmare.

"Groveling at the feet of humans for a few scraps of food, and you have to audacity to call yourself a Faunus?" a man grabbed one of the near-hairless ears atop her head, making her whine in pain. "Oh how far you have fallen, miss huntress."

"It's all your fault. You and the White Fang." she was tearing up. "Nobody trusts me to do anything."

"I wouldn't either," a woman stepped up to her, then jammed her foot into the downed woman's ribs. "You're nothing but skin and bones. Why, I'm surprised you can lift your head enough to not rub your nose in the dirt when you beg like the mutt you are."

"So much for the mighty wolf."

"Looks like she still hasn't learned her lesson."

"Better make sure she does then."

They were started to crowd around her, closing in like vultures. The woman felt herself begin to shut down as they took turns beating her, leaving new bruises and scars that would leave her stranded in that alley for a few days until she could move again. But that wasn't the worst, oh no. She would have cried out for joy to whatever god there was had they beating been the end of it.

The women of the group sneered and spat on her as they left the men there, snickering and licking their chops. Any kind of decency their mothers had once instilled in them was right out the window as they tortured her in the cruelest ways she could imagine, taking turns having their way with her until she was nothing but a shuddering, choking form left lying on the cold, filthy street. Her near unconscious body was slung behind a dumpster, left for dead as they laughed and joked with each other about it.

Sure that she wouldn't be found in the spot they had discarded her, the woman felt her remaining hopes of salvation wrinkle up and die in some far corner of her mind. As her vision finally went black, all she wanted was to wake back up in the bed she had known back at school. She wished so dearly to open her eyes and see the faces of her friends again, but it wouldn't happen.

She would consider herself lucky if she woke up again at all.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Oblivious, and then Not

Bartholomew looked on with pride as his students one by one finished taking their test, bringing it up to a clear spot on his desk so they could gather their things and leave. Jaune looked a bit nervous as he chewed the eraser of his pencil, finally jotting something down on his paper so he could hop up and bring it up to join the stack that would surely be neglected for a few days until he found it again.

"I hope you're not guessing on the ones you don't know again Jaune." he teased, smiling when he blushed in embarrassment. "Surely you know that if you need help all you have to do is ask."

"Of course. It's not that I don't pay attention and understand what you're teaching, but whenever you give us a test it all just… kinda flies out the window, you know?" he smiled slightly. "I could read the entire history book before I took the test and still forget a lot of it when I started reading the questions."

"I understand perfectly. You're not the first student I've had like that, and I doubt you'll be the last." he chuckled, watching him turn around to walk back to his seat to retrieve his things. Pyrrha gave him a smile when he joined her and the rest of their team at the door, though Bartholomew couldn't focus on that as he saw Velvet approach with her test, suddenly making him worry.

"Velvet, it's unusual for you to turn your test in so… late. Is something bothering you?"

The girl nodded, looking up at him. "I was out with Coco doing some shopping yesterday and there was a Faunus girl on the street outside the bakery, begging the baker for a job, any job. She looked like she was starving…"

"Oh? That's unusual."

"Yeah, so I bought her some food, it wasn't a lot or anything because I had forgotten my wallet in the dorm, but when I gave it to her she broke down crying, thanking me for it." Velvet shook her head. "I went back to town this morning before classes started, but I couldn't find her anywhere… then I heard some people talking about a half-dead Faunus woman they saw dragging herself out of an alley… I hope it's not the same girl but… I dunno, I just have a really bad feeling about it."

The man nodded slowly, and put a hand on her shoulder. "I can see why you were distracted and I must say that the situation has me a bit worried now as well. I'm going to look into it… If I find anything out I'll let you know, alright?"

"Alright, thank you doctor."

He nodded again, and watched her leave his classroom. Within about another twenty minutes the rest of his students were done, and the final bell rang for everyone to be dismissed. Concerned over what Velvet had told him the man took off for his home to get squared away so he could take a trip into town, but skidded to a halt when he saw someone turning away from his front door.

A skinny little wolf Faunus with dull black hair and torn clothes that were falling off her clearly starving body. Her yellow eyes were lifeless and sunken in, but somehow managed to brighten when he appeared before her.

"Doctor Oobleck, I hope it's alright that I came for a visit."

"Good god Melania! What happened to you?!" he reached out to her as he looked in shock over the cuts and scrapes and bruises across the visible skin, but jerked back when she flinched at the sudden motion.

"Oh nothing, I just… got into a little trouble is all."

"A little trouble my ass!" he looked over his glasses at her. "Come in, now, and don't expect to leave until I get a full, lie-free story out of you young lady!"

"I'm fine, really. I just came to visit." she shook her head. "There's not a story to tell."

"I doubt that very highly." he stepped around her to unlock his door, then opened it and looked at her. "In. Now."

With a sigh the woman did as she was told, stepping past him into the house but pausing for him to follow her. He kicked off his shoes by the door and motioned for her to follow him toward the couch in his living room, but flinched visibly when she took off her shoes. The sneakers were falling apart, so full of holes he was surprised they had stayed on her feet. But her feet, well, they also caught his attention. He could see the bones protruding from under the skin, and as he looked back at those tears in her clothes, he realized he could see a lot of bones.

"How long has it been since you ate last, Melania?"

"Oh, yesterday. I just… haven't had time to eat yet today." she laughed nervously, but fell silent when he gave her a look.

"Yesterday… I don't suppose you're the starving Faunus girl one of my students was so worried about today?" she flinched, looking at the floor. "She went looking for you this morning but couldn't find you."

"It… was probably someone else."

"Uh-huh, and if I were to send her a photo of you, you're sure she would agree with that statement?"

"...Of… Of course she would." Melania was getting uncomfortable now, and it pained her former teacher to see her like that. He walked back over to her and held out a hand, letting her look at him again before he put his hand on her shoulder.

"Melania, what happened to you? You used to be so full of life but now… I thought for sure you, of all people, would have become one of the most successful huntresses to ever graduate from Beacon."

She sighed, looking down again. Her dull, lifeless black hair fell around her face, and her ears folded back in fear. "I… I was for a while there. I had a house, a successful job… Friends. But then the White Fang began acting up in my area, and suddenly no one trusted me anymore. It got harder and harder to get work, then my landlord kicked me out, thinking I was a member of the White Fang. I… I started drifting from place to place, doing anything I could just to get food, never mind a bed for the night. It got so bad I had to sell Twin Claws just so I could eat, but the money from that didn't last long… I started starving, and that made me get really desperate…"

"Melania?"

"I started doing everything I had sworn I would never break down and do… And when that didn't work anymore, I fell even further. The White Fang started attacking me not long after that." she choked. "A Faunus who would get on her knees and beg for a scrap of meat or a job scrubbing a toilet wasn't worth anything, not even to my own species! It only got worse. The more I tried to survive, the worse their attacks became!"

Bartholomew watched her break down into tears, beginning to shake so violently he thought she would hurt herself. "You don't have to tell me anymore, but… why didn't you come back to Beacon? We would have helped you, you should know that."

"I tried, but I… I was so scared of being rejected by you all… All that time and energy you put into me, and I turned into nothing useful."

"Don't say that!" he didn't mean to raise his voice, and only realized he had when she flinched away from him. "It wasn't your fault Melania," he continued, softer. "It's not that difficult to understand… But you must have gotten over at least some of that fear, if you came here today."

"It's not the first time I've come here doctor, it's just the first time you arrived in time to see me." she wiped her eyes on the way too long sleeves.

"Well I better thank Velvet for that. Now come on, you're going to take a bath and eat something, and I'm going to send the girls to get you some clothes. Don't worry, I'll make sure they don't get anything fitted," he added at her concerned look. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"You don't-"

"Shut up, yes I do." he gently grabbed her hand, and lead her through his house to his bathroom. She stood against the wall as he zipped around, starting her a bath, getting a towel, and setting a robe down nearby. "You can wrap up in my robe until the girls get here with some clothes for you. By the way, I'm going to-"

"Large, and size…. Eight. With a belt." she cut him off, then smirked proudly at the rare accomplishment. "Size eight shoes too, but I don't do heels. Not even inch high ones."

"Got it. Well, get cleaned up." and with that he was gone, stopping in his kitchen to pull out his scroll and look through his contacts while he started preparing a small meal for her. He finally stopped on one in particular, but paused to think it over before he dialed the number.

{ _Doctor Oobleck? Is something wrong?_ }

"Hello Ruby. Are you and your friends free right now?"

{ _...Yes. Do you need something?_ }

"Yes, I need you girls to go into Vale and buy some clothes. One of my former students has gotten into a bit of trouble and I'm trying to help her out some."

{ _Well, uh, what… what kind of things does she like?_ }

"Right now it would be best if you just got some loose fitting clothes. T-shirts, hoodies… If I remember correctly she had an affinity for cargo pants as well. Of course I will pay you back for all this so don't worry about that part, but please make sure you don't get anything tight, revealing, or too fancy. And I am aiming that last one at Miss Schnee."

{ _Alright, well what sizes does she need? I mean, we can't exactly-_ }

"I am aware. Large shirts, pants size eight, but she will need a belt as well. She wears size eight shoes as well, but only sneakers, _no heels_. Not even _slight_ heels. Feel free to get any other kinds of things you think she may need as well. Oh, and I need all this asap."

{ _Alright, we're on it, but where are we supposed to bring it?_ }

"I'll send you my address as soon as you hang up."

{ _Okay! We'll get it done doctor._ }

"Thank you." he listened to the line click dead, then made sure to go ahead and send the girl his address so he wouldn't forget. Then he remembered something else, and sent another message to Velvet, letting her know he had kept his promise. Not long after, he heard Melania walking out of the bathroom, and set to plating that little meal so he could meet her in the hall.

She looked so tiny all wrapped up in his giant robe, and it only made him cringe when he saw how many time she had wrapped the tie around her waist before she could tie it. Melania scoffed, taking the plate from him before walking back into the kitchen and to the table he had in there.

"You know, your house is awfully clean compared to your classroom."

"You didn't see my study." he chuckled. "It's _worse_ than my classroom."

"Oh wow."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Aid

Bartholomew watched Melania slowly eat the food she had been given, as if trying to savor each little bite. He didn't really consider himself to be much of a cook, but as long as she wasn't going to throw up later he didn't care if she wolfed it down in one bite (as he had once seen her do in the past) or took her time to actually taste what she was eating.

"It probably tastes horrible, but I'm glad you're eating."

"It tastes fine," she swallowed another bite, then looked at him. "But you know what would taste _really good_? A big cup of coffee."

"Ha! Now I remember why you were my favorite of that class!" he laughed, getting up to do as she wished.

"Yeah, I always brought you a cup of coffee during my class."

"You were also the only one I trusted to touch my coffee cup when I needed it washed or a refill." he chuckled, but turned his attention to the door when he heard the doorbell ring. It made a growl rise in Melania's throat, her ears flattening again, but her expression became much more alert and curious when he zipped away to go answer it.

Opening the door he was pleased to see team RWBY on his doorstep, each of the girls holding a couple bags. "Ah, very good! How much was it…?"

"Not too much, one of the stores was having a clearance sale so we got a lot of it really cheap." Ruby smiled, then looked around him. "How's your old student doing?"

"Much better now that she's had a chance to eat and bathe. Come in, come in, she's in the kitchen right now but I'm sure she'd love to get out of that bathrobe and into some good clean clothes." he waited for the girls to step past him into the house before zipping off to the kitchen again. When the girls made it there themselves they found the wolf faunus sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee, but she quickly put it back on the table when they approached. The girl's gaze narrowed, locking onto each girl in turn, though it stayed on Blake noticeably longer before she gave a nod and looked away. Ruby bounced over and stuck her hand out to the girl, her smile only wavering slightly when she flinched from the movement.

"Heya, I'm Ruby! One of Doctor Oobleck's students! And these are my teammates Weiss, Blake, and Yang!" the girls nodded in turn, then Yang stepped up.

"I'm also Ruby's older sister."

"I can tell. You two have a similar scent." Melania picked up her cup to finish it before looking at them again, only then shaking Ruby's hand. "I'm Melania."

"Nice to meet you Melania!" Ruby's bright smile returned, then she looked over at the bags her teammates still held. "We got you some clothes and stuff!"

"Yes, why don't you take the girl's back to the room so you can change." Bartholomew put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "And I'll make you some more coffee while you do that."

"Alright." the wolf stood, motioning for the girls to follow her as she walked back to the man's bedroom. They set the bags on the bed so Weiss could go through them and pull out some clothes.

"We didn't know what size bra you would need so we didn't get you one. Don't think you'd be able to tell through the hoodies anyway." she smiled. "So, what happened to make Doctor Oobleck suddenly take you in like this?"

Melania frowned, looking at the floor as she fiddled with the robe's tie. "I kinda… showed up today and he got back as I was about to leave… Needless to say he didn't let me."

"Well he must've had a reason."

"...He did…" the woman looked up at them for a moment before letting the robe fall off of her. The girls were clearly stunned by her appearance, making her wrap her thin little arms around herself in an effort to hide. Her ears flattened again as well, and she started to shake. "He noticed right away that I was in trouble… Doctor Oobleck has never been one to turn a blind eye so… here I am."

Blake swallowed hard, carrying some underwear over to the older faunus. "What happened to you?"

"The White Fang." Melania bit her lip. "They got troublesome in my area so I stopped getting jobs. No one trusted me anymore because of them.. It got so bad I was left begging for scraps of food on the street, so they saw me as worthless and started beating me… The more I tried to find work and get food, the worse the things they did to me became… I was attacked again last night and left for dead behind a dumpster in downtown Vale…"

"I've never known the White Fang to attack other faunus like that." Blake looked back at her friends in worry.

"They usually don't, but they saw me as lower than garbage because I was willing to get on my knees and beg a human for just the slightest bit of kindness." Melania looked at Blake's bow, then smiled softly. "You shouldn't have to worry too much, but I'd stick close to you friends if I were you."

"Alright."

"Here, Melania, you should get dressed." Weiss interjected, holding out a pair of pants in one hand while her other held a large shirt. "Doctor Oobleck probably has that coffee waiting for you."

"Yeah, you're right." she nodded, but had to dress slowly to keep from hurting herself. It made the girls cringe: every time she moved it looked as though her bones would rip through her skin. Finally she was finished, and Yang took the chance to brush out Melania's hair, the other three pulled out the rest of the things they had gotten for her.

"Ruby took the liberty of picking out your hoodies, so if you see any you don't like I'm sure she'll take them off your hands," Weiss rolled her eyes, but the older woman didn't seem to dislike any of her new items.

"No, they're all fine. All of it is, actually. Thank you girls." she smiled slightly. "It's been awhile since I owned proper clothes."

"What did you used to dress like?" Ruby's innocent curiosity almost made Melania laugh.

"Why don't you ask Doctor Oobleck? I'm sure he probably has a photo somewhere."

"Alright!" the girl skipped out to find their teacher while Yang struggled with a particularly nasty knot. By the time she got it out, Ruby and Bartholomew were walking into the room, and _all_ of the girls were surprised when he waltzed right over to a filing cabinet in the corner. He hardly looked in it for a moment before retrieving a handful of photos, which he brought over to them.

"Here, photos from Melania's time at Beacon." he handed them over as he gave his former student a smile. "I hope you don't think I got rid of even a single photo or drawing you gave me."

The wolf's face turned brighter than they thought it should have been able to under the circumstances. "You kept _all of them_? Seriously?"

"Yes I did. As a matter of fact, I'm sure if you looked around the house, you'll notice that nearly every photo I have hanging are ones you took on your missions, miss I-like-taking-photos-more-than-fighting."

"Oh no…"

"Oh, yes," he smirked, but didn't have a chance to say anything else before Weiss broke into their conversation.

"This is what you used to look like? Really?"

"Pfft, she dressed like Yang and Blake." Ruby giggled, Yang nodding in agreement before she whistled.

"You were hot when you went to Beacon."

"Yes, she was quite the head-turner," Bartholomew grimaced. "It was hard enough keeping my students' attention in class under normal conditions, but let her walk in, even in uniform, and every hormonal teenage boy in the room will be too busy staring at her to even _pretend_ to listen to the lesson."

Blake chuckled under her breath as they looked at another picture. "It doesn't look like anything changed after graduation either."

"Oh no, in fact it got worst. Especially after she started wearing those plunging halter tops."

Melania sighed, as if remembering how she used to be was beginning to be too much for her. "I miss those days…"

The man put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure that once all of this is taken care of, you'll be back to giving every man whiplash in no time."

Yang grinned, inching toward the door, looking like she was ready to run. "Does that include you Doc?"

"Yang!"


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Answers

Melania watched with a small smile as Bartholomew washed the dishes he had used to cook for her earlier. It had been some time since team RWBY had left (leaving promises of punishments for Yang in their wake), and he had made himself busy trying to get everything just so for her. Even though he hadn't made it clear, she could tell he was doing most of it to distract himself, no doubt from the dozens of other questions he wanted to ask.

"I have to be at the school by 8 a.m. sharp at least, since I need to get everything together to start our next chapter. I don't suppose you'll object to rising early, hm?"

"I don't suppose I can actually object?"

"No, you can't," he chuckled. "I would like for you to accompany me for a while, at least until you're on your own two feet again."

"Doctor Oobleck?"

"Yes, Melania?"

"Spit them out. I know you have questions."

Bartholomew paused, holding the last pan in his hands. "I do, I just… don't want to force any answers out of you. You've obviously been through a lot and it wouldn't be fair to ask so much of you so soon."

"Doctor."

He sighed, putting the pan down and looking over at her. "Alright, but if it's too uncomfortable for you I want you to tell me."

Melania watched him walk over to sit with her at the table, waiting for him to start firing off those questions that were clearly weighing on him. "I will, you know that."

"Well, first of all I would like to know what happened to the rest of your team. MGMA was one of the best teams from your graduating class, I can't expect them to have fallen apart so easily."

"We didn't, at first," she looked down at her glass. "Morrison tried to keep all of us together, but when Gwen's parents died in a factory accident, she stopped doing missions and went home to take care of her younger brother. As it turns out, she was the only reason Alistair had stayed, and he went with her. She died not long after they got married, and he hasn't spoken to us since."

"And Morrison?"

"Died defending a village from a Grim attack on some mission pretty far from the kingdom. He was trying to get a message to Vale when it happened. He and I had lived together for a while after the team broke up, but once he was gone I couldn't keep up with rent anymore and had to move."

"Where did you go?"

"First I went back home to Menagerie, and my father was more than happy to help me out, but he didn't tell me he was sick, and passed away only a year or so later," she grimaced. "So I sold what I could, donated what I couldn't, and came back to Vale with what money I had. I couldn't afford to live in the kingdom though, so I chose to settle in a nice little village near the coast. They had been needing a huntsman for a while, so they welcomed me with open arms."

"I take it, that welcome didn't last long."

She shook her head. "It was great at first! I made friends with the locals, even taught a lot of them to fight against the Grim. I taught the kids lessons at the local school too, so I had a lot going for me there. But then… then the White Fang rolled through town, on their way to a port a few dozen miles away. I did what I could to help them so they would be on their way faster, but then they started making demands of me that I had no choice but to refuse."

"What did they do?" Bartholomew was getting a bit more concerned now. "Unless, the village…?"

"They attacked the village, and I was helpless to stop them," she paused, as if choosing her next words a bit more carefully. "The others I had trained… they were quick to fall against the superior weapons and dust the White Fang had brought, and after it was all said and done the remaining villagers turned on me. They said I had invited the White Fang there, and that I had purposely trained their fighters wrong so they could be felled easier. That saw everything I had done as a lie to cover for myself, and chased me from the village."

"Melania?"

The woman looked at him, and he could see she was on the verge of tears. "Their words spread through the other villages faster than I could travel between them. All I found after that was closed doors and more anger. Grimm attacks began following my visits, and it got harder and harder from there. I would be attacked for getting too close to other villages, and in turn they would be attacked by Grimm. So I stayed away from the villages, and traded what I could to the merchants who traveled between them until my money ran out. That's when the White Fang found me."

"And the rest, you told me earlier, correct?"

"Yeah… Some villages took pity on me after that, and that's how I got what food I could. In exchange for… certain services of course. Whatever was needed of me, I did, and when the only services began to be ones I had sworn off, I fell further, only hoping to see my next meal."

Bartholomew slowly reached over to place his hand atop hers. "And you didn't come to us, because you didn't want us to see you like this."

"Yes…"

"I'm confused though. You said you had come to my house before?"

"Yes… I thought that maybe you would be able to help me, but I was so scared to ask that I usually left not long after coming here. You just happened to catch me today."

"I see…" the man sighed, and scratched his neck. "Well you're getting help at least, and I think you know I won't let you get away very easily now that I know how badly you need it."

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Thank you Doctor."

"Melania you're not my student anymore, feel free to call me by my name." he chuckled. "And as my roommate for the time being, it may be easier to just go ahead and do so."

"Bartholomew? That… it feels weird," her nose crinkled.

"Doesn't- nevermind. I'm not going to finish that."

"I think you're tired."

"I think you're right." he stood, and motioned for her to follow him back to the bedroom. "You can take my room for the time being. I'm actually not sure when the last time I slept in this bed was so don't think you're putting me out or anything."

She looked unsure, but walked over to sit on the bed anyway. "Don't tell me you've been sleeping on the couch the whole time."

"I usually don't make it out of the office, so no. Despite what all of you think, I actually do get most things graded on time."

"I don't believe it."

"I know," he shrugged, but walked over to the set of double doors by his dresser. "I'll try not to disturb you while you rest, but don't hesitate to let me know if you need anything."

"Alright." Melania slowly pulled back the large brown comforter he had on his bed, checking the sheets below it before she climbed in. "Just make sure you don't freak out if I start growling in my sleep again."

Bartholomew gave her a smile and nod before walking into the other room, giving her a brief glimpse of piles of papers and over stuffed bookshelves. Looking around the room again before she settled down, she realized that even though his bedroom was clean, she had overlooked several stacks of papers on his dresser, and even on the nightstands by the bed.

Wondering about the clutter and his supposedly timely grading proved to be a good distraction to help her fall asleep, as unused to comfortable sleeping arrangements as she was. The next thing she was aware of was the smell of coffee a few inches away from her nose, and then the sound of the shower running in the bathroom. An alarm clock not far away revealed the ungodly hour to her as she sat up to grab her apparent appeasement so she could try and make it from the bedroom in order to let her "roommate", as he was calling himself, get ready for the day in peace.


End file.
